1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a drive force transmitting apparatus equipped with a dry clutch contrived to be connected and released using hydraulic pressure from a transmission. More specifically, the present invention relates to a drive force transmitting apparatus having a hydraulic fluid leakage recovery path.
2. Background Information
Various vehicles, such as a hybrid vehicle, utilize a drive force transmitting apparatus that includes a clutch hub coupled to an output shaft of an engine, a clutch cover fixed to a rotor of an electric motor and coupled to an input shaft of a transmission, a multiple-plate dry clutch arranged between the clutch hub and the clutch cover, and a slave cylinder (generally called a CSC, which stands for “concentric slave cylinder”) that controls connection and release of the multiple-plate dry clutch. The slave cylinder of this type of drive force transmitting apparatus sometimes includes a piston slidably arranged in a cylinder housing. A release bearing is often provided on a tip end of the piston. A diaphragm spring and a pressure plate are arranged between the release bearing and the multiple-plate dry clutch. The connection state of the multiple-plate dry clutch is controlled by using a spring force of the diaphragm spring to put the multiple-plate dry clutch into a connected state and using a hydraulic force of the slave cylinder to put the multiple-plate dry clutch into a released state. On example of this type of drive force transmitting apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-137406.